A failure-mode-analysis is a systematic engineering methodology for cataloguing every possible way a system, component, or process can fail, assessing the consequences of each failure mode, and prioritising mitigation or correction. Parameters: (1) exhaustive enumeration of failure modes per component or step, (2) effect severity ranking, (3) occurrence likelihood, (4) detectability of each mode before it causes harm, (5) prioritisation by risk-priority-number. Persistence: the FMEA report is a living document maintained in engineering quality systems and updated whenever design, process, or operational conditions change. [formal: formalisatio | substrate: behavior | horizon: a life | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
failure-mode-analysis
A failure-mode-analysis is a systematic engineering methodology for cataloguing every possible way a system, component, or process can fail, assessing the consequences of each failure mode, and prioritising mitigation or correction. Parame…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A systematic engineering methodology for identifying all potential ways a system, component, or process could fail, evaluating the effects of each failure mode, and prioritizing corrective actions. Human-made through reliability engineering practice (MIL-STD-1629A, 1980; later refined in automotive AIAG-VDA FMEA standards), documented in structured forms, and applied across aerospace, automotive, medical device, and manufacturing sectors.
Names and aliases
- failure-mode-analysisen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cms84mvqm00uuh6s88cc3aflcINSTANCE_OF →
Failure-mode-analysis IS a specific kind of risk-analysis. It systematically identifies potential failures and evaluates their effects — this is risk analysis applied to failure modes. A competent speaker would say 'FMA is a type of risk analysis.' Direction tested: specific (FMA) → general (risk-analysis).
- cms88c18w000h73fkh1a5pwxvDERIVED_FROM →
failure-mode-analysis (e.g. FMEA, FTA) is a systematic technique derived from reliability engineering. Reliability engineering existed first as a discipline focused on system dependability; failure-mode analysis is a specific methodology developed within and derived from that field.
Relations to this entry
- cms83ire500qfh6s8aeqyay3j← INSTANCE_OF
A fault tree is a specific graphical/logical technique for analyzing failure modes and their causal relationships using Boolean gates. It is a concrete instance of failure-mode-analysis methodology.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 30, 2026, 11:56 PM UTC
- Content hash
- 908ac7d840a3b0830b35bded2917b8189bb823a2842ee02fa25b1307ef69274c